ClutchPoints
Just a day after the death of Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir, another Bay Area legend, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, paid homage to the late icon.
During pregame warmups before the 49ers’ Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kittle revealed his special addition to his cleats for the game. He wrapped his cleats and wrote “Dead Forever” on it, an obvious tribute to Weir’s band.
George Kittle with “DEAD FOREVER” wrapped around his shoe in honor of the late Bob Weir pic.twitter.com/QQR0aIUjaH
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 11, 2026
Weir died on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at 78 years old. This came after he was diagnosed with cancer in July 2025. According to the announcement, he died “peacefully” while with his loved ones. His death was caused by “underlying lung issues” in his fight against cancer.
The late Grateful Dead founder was born in San Francisco, an integral part of the band’s identity. He served as a guitarist and the lead vocalist of the Grateful Dead.
In 2015, Weir formed a new group, Dead & Company, which featured former Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. They were joined by John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti for several tours and residencies, performing 48 shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Unfortunately, while the 49ers upset the defending Super Bowl champions, Kittle did not play much in the Wild Card game. Before his exit, he had caught one pass for six yards.
Still, the Niners continued on without Kittle, beating the Eagles 23-19. They rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Eagles 13-3 in the fourth quarter.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw two interceptions (along with two touchdowns). Wide receiver Jauan Jennings also threw a touchdown pass on a trick play.
The team struggled to run the ball for the most part against the Philadelphia defense. Christian McCaffrey only had 48 yards on 15 carries. He made his presence felt through the air, though, as he caught six passes for 66 yards and two scores. Now, the 49ers will play the Seattle Seahawks in the Division Round. They split the regular season series matchups with Seattle.
The post 49ers’ George Kittle paid homage to the late Bob Weir before Eagles win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
